This invention relates to product identification and information display tags for merchandise suspended from horizontally extending support hooks and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to such tags which are easily attached to and removed from support hooks without being subject to inadvertent removal, and which display product information forwardly of the supported merchandise.
I have, in recent years developed a range of product display tags of the above type for use with different types of support hooks, the tags in general being formed from plastic sheet so as to provide a mounting portion which attaches to a support hook at the back or proximal end of the hook, and an elongate portion which extends forwardly over the support hook (and the products suspended thereon) for presenting product information at the forward or distal end of the support hook. The product information may, for example, be provided on a label secured to a downwardly depending display portion of the tag located forwardly with respect to the distal end of the support hook so that the product information is conveniently displayed to a consumer or the like at a location forwardly of the merchandise. With display tags of this nature, when a product is to be removed from the support hook, the tag may be flexed upwardly and may fall back into position after the product has been released from the hook.
For example, in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,944, there are disclosed a variety of product display tags having specifically designed mounting portions particularly adapted for securing the tags to forms of support hook structures that attach to perforated boards as commonly used in supermarkets and like stores for displaying suspended products in the form of blister packs and the like. The hook structures referred to in the patent generally comprise individual hooks formed from metal rod and each of which has a support bracket formation at its proximal end whereby the hook is attached to a perforated board individually. The respective display tags have mounting portions designed particularly to be attached to the support bracket formations of the respective hook structures.
Further, in my copending application Ser. No. 792,604 filed Oct. 29, 1985, there is disclosed a form of display tag particularly adapted for use on wire hooks which form part of an integrated, free-standing display unit wherein a hook is attached at its back end to a transverse metal rod. Also, in my copending application Ser. No 835,941 filed Mar. 4, 1986, there is disclosed a form of display tag particularly adapted for use with a "gangbar" type hook structure comprising plural support hooks extending from a common gangbar attached to a perforated board. The disclosures of these patent applications are specifically incorporated herein by reference.
One form of support structure for use in displaying a product at an elevated level above a perforated board on which the hook is mounted, and which is not specifically referred to in the above-noted patents or applications, is a so called "sky hook" stucture which comprises a vertical limb extending upwardly from a mounting bracket secured to the board, and a horizontal limb forming the support hook itself extending from a hump-like bend at the top of the vertical limb.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a product display tag of the general character previously described which is particularly adapted for mounting on a sky hook structure although not necessarily limited in its application to this purpose.